Carlos Levy, a redshirt sophomore on Elon University men’s soccer team has a deep connection to Hispanic Heritage Month. Levy was born in Mexico and moved to Miami at the age of 8. He moved among family and friends, and in his experience, Miami had a rich Latino community, he said.
He cites his transition to Elon as a more prominent culture shock than originally moving to America.
“I feel like Elon was definitely my first experience of living in the real U.S.A.,” Levy said.
He recalls the majority of his peers in Miami speaking Spanish, however, his freshman roommates at Elon didn't. Despite this, he found a community on the soccer team. He said speaking Spanish with the other Hispanic players helps him feel connected to home.
Levy said family dynamics are more prominent in Mexico, and the Hispanic communities he grew up in compared to the closeness of Elon.
Levy has been playing soccer his whole life and said his devotion to the sport is another way he stays in touch with his heritage. He said the popularity of soccer in Mexico and other Hispanic communities outweighs the soccer culture in Elon and the U.S.A. Growing up around this type of passion for the sport will always have an impact on him, he said.
“Hispanics live the sport differently than other people do, we are very passionate about it. It's the only thing people watch or play over there,” Levy said.
Despite the prominence of the sport in those communities, he is only one of a few Hispanic players on the team, but Levy doesn't view this negatively. He said he enjoys the diversity of the group and the ability to share his own heritage with his teammates. He said he is always learning something new from the other players.
“I am proud to be able to bring my heritage, my culture and my traditions here to this team that is honestly so diverse,” Levy said. “It's a great group of guys and I'm glad that I can be a part of that diversity.”
Levy plays the center-back position, which is difficult according to Marc Reeves, head coach of Elon men's soccer because he doesn't often substitute that position so it requires a lot of endurance and trust in his fellow teammates. Reeves said he has seen Levy's abilities progress firsthand and stated that he had a phenomenal pre-season.
Reeves said that Levy “came back and hit the ground running.”
Reeves said other players on the team come from diverse backgrounds, such as Petro Klishch — a senior on the team who is Ukrainian — and Majaliwa Msabaha — a junior player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on refugee status in Denmark.
“We've got an incredibly diverse group in all aspects. In terms of countries, of course, and religious beliefs, social and economic, everything you can imagine,” Reeves said.
Reeves said the team emphasizes respect for each other's values, and as a result, gets along extremely well. He said he views each player as an Elon athlete despite their background. The team's unity is exhibited in their undefeated status this season.
“We are not all from the same mold. We are not all from the same background. We are an incredibly diverse group, and I think that's what makes us so fun to be around,” Reeves said.